Wagering game machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines depends on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing wagering game machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for wagering game machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play.
Soundtracks (e.g., an organized sequence of music, sound effects, voices, or other sounds) played in wagering games help to immerse a wagering game player (“player”) into a wagering game experience and add to the excitement and fun of wagering games. The soundtrack for the wagering game is prepared and stored on the wagering game machine as part of a sound asset (e.g., a sound file) well before the wagering game machine is placed on the casino floor. After the casino receives the wagering game machine, the casino will often place the wagering game machine next to one or more wagering game machines that present the same wagering game(s). In other words, the casino will arrange like wagering game machines (e.g., wagering game machines of a similar theme) in a group, or bank, that are located in close proximity to each other. When one player starts one or more portions of the wagering game (e.g., when a player plays a first game credit for a primary wagering game, when a player enters a bonus round, etc.) on one of the wagering game machines in the bank, the wagering game begins playing the soundtrack associated with the one or more portions of the wagering game on its speakers at a starting point for the soundtrack (e.g., at a beginning of a musical score of the soundtrack). If another player starts playing the same wagering game, or portion of the wagering game, on a second, neighboring wagering game machine in the bank at a subsequent point in time, the second wagering game machine will start playing the same soundtrack from its speakers at the same starting point. However, because the second wagering game machine starts the soundtrack at a later point in time, the soundtrack played at the first wagering game machine will be staggered from the soundtrack played at the second wagering game machine. Because of the close proximity of the wagering game machines to each other in the bank, the staggered soundtracks may sound dissonant and distracting to each of the players.